Measure to clean up 500,000 brownfield sites clears Senate

The government would assist in cleaning up more than 500,000 abandoned industrial sites across the nation under legislation passed Wednesday by the Senate.

The bill, approved 99-0, would provide $200 million a year for the cleanups and encourage developers to build on the sites by insulating them from future Superfund lawsuits if additional toxic wastes are found.

Developers have been reluctant to acquire the mildly contaminated "brownfields," many of them in inner cities, fearing the Environmental Protection Agency would step in and subject them to Superfund liability.

Separate brownfields bills have been introduced in the House. Supporters cite the benefits of providing "finality" for state cleanups while giving the federal government flexibility to return later for more remediation if needed.